Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-06-29
CAPTURE BY INDIANS.

many Of the older residents of the
Allegheny Valley can doubtless re-
member, says the Philadelphia Dispatch
Old Massey HARRISON was a frequent vis-
ltor OF scores of farm houses and vii
lagos up and down the river. She was
tall, stnlwart, and resolute; III her face
We're lines that told of suferings and
hardship, and her activity, even in her
old age, proved her to be q woman of
more than ordinary physical vigor.
Her business, while upon her frequent
Journeys, was the sale of a small book
"a narrative Of her own life, and one
of the most remarkable histories that
the annals of savage warefare ever orig
mated. y '~... ,"'s'5 @.s''.>>
Massey Harbison's descendants still
live in Buffalo Township, Butler Coun-
ty, and a few years ago two of her child
rem were living in Allegheny County,
not many miles from the spot where
the Indians captured her and two Of
her children on the 22d Of May. 1892.
Her strange history, briefly summarized
is as follows:
Massey HARRISON was born in Somer-
set County, New Jersey, in 1910. She
was the daughter of Edward White, q
revolutionary soldier, who settled near
Brownsville, on the Monongahela River,
in 1888. In 1887 she was married to
John HARRISON. After peace with the
Indians he settled in what is now the
edge of Butler County, where he built
mill on Buffalo Creek. He died in
1922.
HARRISON and his family were
pioneers in the vicinity of Freeport in
1871. In March of that year a number
murders and captures by the Indians
of settlers in that vicinity caused the
remainder to organize for protection.
A block house was erected on the
Allegheny River mile below the
mouth of the Kiskiminetas, and op-
posite the site of Freeport. Here
several families spent the sum-
mer IN safety. Meantime John
HARRISON enlisted in Captain
Guthrie's company and went to
fight the Indians. Late in Deem
Der he returned to the block house,
bearing an ugly wound which he had
received at the scene of St. Clair's de-
feat. Recovering from his injury in
the following March, he enlisted as
spy and was ordered to the woods.
The inhabitants of the block house,
having long been undisturbed, and be-
lieveing that the spy system would
protect them, left the station and scat
tered to their cabins. That in which
Mrs. HARRISON lived was within 200
yards of the block house, and was
frequently visited by her husband and
other spies, who came to secure food
and lodging. On the 21st of May.
1892, two spies, Davis and Sutton,
came to Harbison''s to stay over night.
At daylight they arose and went out to
the block house, leaving Mrs. Harbi-
son still abed in the cabin. She was
awakened by the noise they made, and
noticed that they left the door open.
She intended to get up and fasten it,
but fell asleep. Davis returned, fasten-
ed the door, and went back to the
block house, while Mrs. HARRISON and
her three children were still slumbering.
She was aroused by being dragged
forcibly from the bed, and awoke to
find the house full of Indians. Her
narrative says: EVERY Indian held his
gun in his left hand and his tomahawk
in his right. Beholding the dangerous
situation in which I then was, Jumped
to the floor upon my feet,' with the
young child in my arms She made
an effort to dress herself, but the In
dams took every article away from her
as soon as she touched it. While she
was struggling for clothing-having on
only her petticoat and other garments
in which she had slept-the savages
plundered the cabin, and made cap
tives of the two little boys, aged five
and three years. Next they forced Mrs.
HARRISON with her babe in her arms, to
leave the cabin with them. The elder
boy they led by the hand, the younger
one ran into the house and cried pitiful-
~. To still his cries an Indian seized
him by the heels, and dashed his brains
out against the doorsill and then scalp
ed him. .,. -. ~ ,p....S
The party which made the capture
numbered thirty-two, of whom two
were white men painted as Indians.
After proceeding a short distance they
stole the horses of John Currie, Mrs.
Harbison's uncle, and two of the Indi-
ans took charge of the captives, the re-
mainder going in another direction.
After trying in vain to make the horses,
with their double loads, swim the river
they left them behind and took their
prisoners over to an island in a canoe.
As soon as they landed the five-year-old
boy, who was crying over the fate of
his little brother, was tomahawed and
scalped. The mother fell fainting to
the ground and remained unconscious
for some time. Partially reviving, she